The award was given for the Rights of Way Improvement Plan which was deemed to have the 'Best Cycling' section in the country.
Local authorities across the country have been working on their Rights of Way Improvement Plans for the past seven years. East Sussex’s 10-year plan was published in November 2007 and details how to improve opportunities for walking, cycling and horse riding, to provide greater connectivity between routes, and to link up with the public transport network.
Members of the Rights of Way team were presented with a framed certificate at a ceremony hosted by Nicholas Crane, presenter of popular BBC series Coast.
Matthew Lock, Lead Member for Transport and Environment and member of the Local Access Forum said, "I am very pleased to see that our teams work has been recognised with such a prestigious national award. Here in East Sussex, we are spoilt with beautiful countryside sites right on our doorstep. We are encouraging people to go explore them on foot or on cycle. As well as a great day out, it’s also a good way of keeping fit."
For more information visit Natural England's website.
Further information
A right of way is a route across privately owned land that the public are legally allowed to use. The County Council look after 3,500 kilometres of rights of way in East Sussex.
East Sussex County Council’s Rights of Way Improvement Plan looks at where access to the countryside for the public could be improved. The plan assesses:
- the extent to which the local rights of way meet the present and likely future needs of the public
- the opportunities provided by local rights of way for exercise and other forms of outdoor recreation and enjoyment of our area, and
- the accessibility of local rights of way to blind and partially sighted people and others with mobility problems.
For more information about the plan itself see Rights of Way Improvement Plan 2007–2017.
Reference:
2358
Contact the press team
East Sussex County Council